Why you can't stop playing video games Put down the controller & slowly back away

Marathon gaming sessions that last through the night. That intense desire to finish a challenge and get your character to the next level. Thumb cramps that last for days on end. For many video game enthusiasts , these are fairly common experiences. For others, they are symptoms of obsession bordering on addiction. What is it about video games that makes playing them so all-consuming? "For one thing, they're relatively safe and accessible forms of entertainment," says Dr. Nicholas David Bowman, assistant professor of communication studies at West Virginia University, who has studied the role of video games in society. In addition to safety, games are fairly easy to learn — easier than baseball, for example, which requires a greater level of learned physical skills. "It's more fun to be good at Tony Hawk that it is to be bad at baseball," Bowman says. Video games are also an...